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r. WRIGHT’S 


UNIVERSAL 



IVo. 8.5,710. 

Patented January 5th, 1869. 

PATENT PENDING FOR 

Addition al Improvements. 



,T. F. Daniels, Print., 55 W. Lake st Chicago. 




















































































































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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1873, by 
A.T. WRIGHT, 

in the Office of the Librarianiof Congress at Washington. 


X X\r DEX. 

Bees—Understand their habits 
“ See them often 
“ * Know their condition 
“ Keep them populous 
“ When and how to colonize 
“ When and what tc feed 
“ Protect from cold beating winds 

“ How often to fly 

“ Best place and how to winter 
“ To prevent swarming 
“ Best time to unite or return 
“ To prevent robbing 
“ Classes, sexes and age of 

Form of government and varieties of 
“ Stings, protection against - - - 8,9 

“ Honey best and how much for - - 1 , 12, 13 

“ May be kept in cities .... 13 

“ Colonizing for winter - - - - 10, 12 

“ W'hen and how long to confine • 2,4,5,8,9,11,12 


1 

1 

- 1 , 2 
1, 3, 4, 10, 12, 18 

1, 3, 4, 5, 8 , 10 
1. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 , 12,13 

2 , 16 

2 , 7, 12, 13, 16 
2, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17 
1. 3, 4, 5, 12, 15, 17 

5 

r 1, 3, 5, 9, 18 
- 6 , 7 


“ Must be managed 
“ Golden rule for success 
Bee cholera, (tc ,— how prevented 
Brood—time in rearing 
Bee-moth—protecting combs from 
Comb-guides, triangular, etc. 
Division boards and honey guides 
Dampness should be avoided 


1 , 18 
- 1 , 18 
2, 4,12,13, 16 
- 6,7 

1, 3, 11,12 
14 
9, 10 
2 , 16 


Drones, (males,)—to rear, preserve, 01 destroy, etc. - - 4, 5, 6 


Eggs - when and how impregnated 
Fertilization of queens 
Frames—best size and form of 

“ Kept plumb, number of, etc. 
Hives—distances apart and changes of 
Hive—materials how prepared, etc. 

Honey resources—to secure the most 
“ Nice form for market 
“ Unhealthy for bees 
*• Extractor valuable 
Judgment required 

Profits of bee culture - - - " - 

Queens—Keep only prolific 

“ How to rear and introduce 

“ Laying eggs, productiveness, etc. 

Screens—for what used - 

Syrup—how prepared and fed 
Trrnsferring combs and bees 
Universal Hive—why so named 
Vertical bar—comb support 
Ventilation important - 


6 
6 

13, 14 

1, 4, 9, 14 

3.10 
15 

1, 3, 4, 11, 12, 13, 15 
1, 9, 10,12, 13, 14, 15 
2, 12 

- 1, 3, 16 

- 1. 16, 17 

4, 12 

- - - 1,3 

- 4, 3, 6 

- - - 6 , 7 

11 

- 1, 3. 4, 9 

8 , 9 
14 
13 

2, 5, 9,16 















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HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL 


IN 


BEE CULTURE. 


Manage the bees and hive in harmony with the 
nature and habits of the bee, and in accordance 
with the climate and seasons and the honey resour¬ 
ces of .the locality in which the bees are kept. See 
the bees often and know their condition at all times. 
Keep each colony strong , and very strong when stor¬ 
ing surplus honey, with suitable room rightly ar¬ 
ranged for both brood and honey, removing sur¬ 
plus honey as fast as sealed when taken in the 
combs, and as fast as the combs are filled when re¬ 
moved by the extractor. Colonize the bees onJry 
when populous with a large amount of sealed and 
hatching brood in the hive, except for winter, and 
plenty of honey for the bees to gather for about 
two weeks, or otherwise feed them all they will 
need. When feeding to build combs and store 
honey feed regularly all the bees can use as long as 
fed ; when for winter feed during warm spells in 
the fall soon after the first killing frosts, feeding 
good sugar syrup as fast as the bees can store it 
away, and until the contents of the hive weigh 
not less than thirty pounds. When preparing syr¬ 
up, to every full quart ol sugar add one pint of 
boiling hot water, heat to the boiling point and 


J C -7 o 




2 


skim. Before feeding for winter reduce the hive 
to (seven frames) as small a size as practicable, so 
that the bees will occupy every comb during win¬ 
ter. At the approach of winter secure proper up¬ 
ward ventilation so as to prevent the accumulation 
and retention of dampness, water, or frost in the 
hives, and if wintered on their snmmer stand, pro¬ 
tect from cold winds with straw or other means 
that will retain warmth and not impede ventila¬ 
tion or evaporation, and shade the hives except 
during such days as the bees can fly without danger 
of being chilled on the snow or otherwise. They 
should be allowed to fly whenever the air in the 
shade is warm enough to induce them to fly. A 
cool, dark , still, dry place, with proper ventilation to 
the hives to keep the combs dry and the bees quiet, 
is the most favorable in which to winter bees with 
the least loss of either bees or honey. The bees 
should be allowed to fly as often as necessary to 
keep them in a healthy condition. How often they 
should fly depends in a great measure upon the 
condition of their honey, which often contains too 
much water and is otherwise impure, causing dis¬ 
ease when the bees are confined too long. When¬ 
ever this condition exists the bees must be allowed 
to fly, and if the open air is too cold for them 
their hives should be placed in a warm room at the 
window, so situated that the bees can crawl back 
into the hive after flying. 

This is an effectual remedy for the bee cholera 
or dysentery, and by the same means transfers may 
be successfully made, and the bees ted at any time 
during cold weather. Too long confinement , with 
improper ventilation and impure honey, have caused 
the loss of many colonies. They should not be 


3 


kept in the cellar or any other place of confinement 
too loner, and after they become restless on account 
of disease or warmth. 

When returning them to their summer stands, if 
confined but a short time, place each hive where it 
was before being put into winter quarters, and to 
insure this, stakes may be driven into the ground 
near the hives, and both numbered alike. For all 
practical purposes hives should be kept at least ten 
or fifteen feet apart, and where they can have a free 
circulation of air and be exposed to the sun at any 
time. 

To produce strong colonies early in the season, 
feed the bees sugar syrup early in the spring, and 
often, in small quantities. Also give them plenty 
ot finely ground, unbolted flour as early and late in 
the spring as they will use it. They will use flour 
made of various kinds of grain. If put in the 
feed box place it at the warmest end of the hive. 
In the sunshine is the most favorable place. The 
syrup may be poured into empty combs taken from 
the hive and returned. 

As one of the best means of keeping colonies 
strong and profitable, keep none but very prolific 
queens under two years old, and when ofd queens 
are removed put others in their places, so as not to 
materially check the development of the brood. 
To prevent swarming, gradually enlarge the hive in 
the spring by adding frames to the central part of 
the hive as fast as the bees can properly occupy and 
fill them, and when the bees are storing honey re¬ 
move it with the extractor. If colonizing is de¬ 
sired in connection with the use of the extractor, it 
may be done about the close of the main honey 
season, which occurs in many places about the mid- 


4 


die of July, by removing seven frames of sealed 
and hatching brood and adhering bees, forming a 
new hive and removing it where it is to remain per¬ 
manently, leaving the old queen at the old stand, 
and at the same time introducing a young queen in 
a wire cage in the newly formed hive, where it will 
be kept warm by the bees. Twenty-four hours la¬ 
ter, shake the bees off of the combs into a box, and 
carefully destroy every forming queen cell, if any, 
and twelve hours lacer quietly liberate the queen. 
Then if feeding is necessary, feed each colony 
sugar syrup, or the extracted honey boiled and 
skimmed, until seven frames are well filled, and if 
surplus honey in the comb is desired, continue feed¬ 
ing, giving the bees suitable room, properly ar¬ 
ranged. for honey By this means the bees may be 
employed building combs and storing honey until 
cold weather. 

By the foregoing method of management the 
largest possible amount of honey may be secured, 
and in the most desirable form. If surplus honey 
only is desired, instead of dividing, reduce the 
brood compartment as the brood hatches to seven 
frames, at the same time arranging and feeding as 
before mentioned. If the most rapid increase of 
colonies is desired, then colonize as often as the re¬ 
quired conditions will permit. If both an in¬ 
crease of colonies and surplus honey are desired, 
either with or without the use of the extractor, 
manage accordingly. 

Rear drones and queens from the best and most 
prolific queens. In rearing queens use a strong 
colony, and either remove the queen or confine her 
to a few combs at the back part of the hive, 'until 
the queen cells have been formed and removed. 





5 


About sundown on the ninth day after this, tor 
each hive to be colonized, take two or three frames 
of hatching and adhering bees from as many differ¬ 
ent hives and confine them, properly ventilated, in 
the back part of each hive to be colonized, and 
at the same time carefully give them one of the 
sealed queens. Near sundown on the second day 
after this, liberate these bees, and as soon as the 
young queens commence laying eggs, and all other 
coiyiitions are right, colonize the bees. If the 
bees forming the nuclei are all taken from one hive, 
then form this nuclei about one day before giving 
them the sealed queen. Queens sometimes hatch 
on the tenth day, reared from larva six days old. 
In the evening, soon after sundown, is the best 
time to form nuclei or unite bees of different colo¬ 
nies. When robber bees are troublesome, late in 
the afternoon is the most favorable time to open 
hives, remove honey, transfer combs, colonize the 
bees, etc. At such times, before opening the hives, 
it is often best to take them into a room where the 
robbers cannot find them. 

To rear drones early, select populous colonies 
and place empty drone combs in the central part 
of the hive. This should be done about two weeks 
before commencing to rear queens, which should 
be begqn three weeks before the time for colo¬ 
nizing. Feeding, when honey is scarce, will favor 
the production of drone brood. 

To avoid rearing drones, use the drone combs for 
surplus honey, or remove them from the hive. 
Drone brood may be destroyed with the sharp 
point of a knife, and the eggs and young larva .by 
cold water. To prevent the worker bees from kill¬ 
ing the drones at any time, transfer the drone brood 








6 


before hatching, forming a queenless hive, or, feed 
the bees regularly when they are not storing 
hont y. 

There are three classes of bees, one of males and 
two of females. The males are called drones, the 
fully developed females queens, and the balance 
workers, etc. The drones are the largest, the 
queens the longest, and the workers the smallest. 
The drones have no stings, and are helpless and 
defenceless and, like the workers, are short iiyed. 
The worker bees never copulate, but in queenless 
hives they often lay eggs and rear drones. All 
drones are produced from unimpregnated eggs. 
Impregnated eggs produce either queens or work¬ 
ers, that depending upon the manner in which they 
are reared. From the time the eggs are laid queens 
usually hatch on the sixteenth day, workers in 
twenty-one, and drones in twenty-four days. Queens 
when not confined copulate in the open air, 
and within a few weeks after hatching. Their 
eggs are not impregnated at the time of copula¬ 
tion, but at the time of being laid, when passing 
from the ovaries to the ovipositor through the ovi¬ 
duct, to which is connected the sac called the 
spermatheea? containing the male properties of fe¬ 
cundation. Eggs laid in drone cells are never im¬ 
pregnated. Some queens never copulate, and oth¬ 
ers become barren when old, and in either case 
their eggs produce only drones. Queens generally 
commence laying eggs between one and two weeks 
after hatching, and about two days after copulation, 
the time varying somewhat with the weather, etc. 
They seem to be deadly enemies to each other, and 
but one queen can remain long in the same hive 
unless confined, or their stings cropped. They will 


7 


sting nothing but rival queens. They sometimes 
live three or four years. Depositing eggs in the 
cells is all they seem to do in the economy of the 
hive, and in this they manifest great industry and 
sagacity, often producing, when conditions are fa¬ 
vorable, thousands of eggs in a single day, arrang¬ 
ing them in the combs in the most economic and 
systematic order. The workers during summer 
generally commence flying on the seventh day after 
hatching, and gathering polen and honey on the nine¬ 
teenth, being forty days from the time the eggs were 
laid. Within forty days more they are gone. They 
live longer in winter because they do not wear out 
their wings, and are less exposed to accidents. 

In form of government the bees are republican, 
each one laboring for the benefit of the whole colo¬ 
ny, and for posterity, building combs and storing 
honey for succeeding generations. It a colony be 
reduced to the starving point each bee will divide 
with the others until all perish together. They 
are industrious, frugal and economical, and untir¬ 
ing in their devotion to the welfare of their colony. 
They have no political or religious dissensions, 
but Seemingly strive to live in harmony with the 
laws of nature most conducive to their welfare. 
Useful lessons may be learned from the little honey 
bee by him who claims to be the highest type of 
animated nature, and the noblest work of God. 

There are several varieties of honey bees, of 
which the Italian is perhaps the most profitable 
They are more beautiful than the common black 
bees, and appear to be more hardy and productive, 
and to collect honey from sources that other bees do 
not. Such is the testimony of many beekeepers, 
and is confirmed by my own observations, having 



8 

propagated the Italian bee for the last twelve 
years. 

To secure the fertilization of queens in confine¬ 
ment, arrange the hive so that the worker bees can¬ 
not interfere with the queens and drones, but so 
they will be kept warm and be fed during confine¬ 
ment. Admit a shaded light, enough to induce 
them to fly without seeing out of the space in which 
they are confined. Confine the queen when four 
days old with drones that are beginning to fly. A 
division board may be kept between them and the 
worker bees during their usual hours of flight when 
necessary, as a means of inducing them to fly. 
They may also have a frame of hatching drone or 
other brood and honey during confinement, as the 
workers do not usually fly before they are a week 
old. 

A good fumigator is often a great convenience in 
controlling bees, and a bee hat also for the protec¬ 
tion of those who are afraid of being stung. To 
transfer the combs and bees from common hives, 
remove the hive of bees out of the way of flying 
bees, putting an empty hive in its place to catch 
the returning bees; invert the hive of bees and 
place a suitable empty hive or box over it to catch 
the ascending bees, and pound the hive stoutly , rap¬ 
idly and unceasingly with mallets, hammers, or 
heavy sticks until the queen and most of the bees 
ascend, which they will do in from five to thirty 
minutes. When the queen ascends, the bees will 
become more quiet. Then return the bees to their 
accustomed place, and after transferring their combs, 
rehive the bees, placing the new hive where the 
old one stood. Do not colonize or divide them un¬ 
til the bees have repaired their combs and have 


9 


them well filled with sealed and hatching brood. 
After driving out the bees cut the combs and sticks 
loose from the sides of the hive with a hand saw, 
remove the sides and carefully lay the combs on a 
table, and fit all suitable combs into the frames 
straight, placing the brood together, and arranging 
the combs as near as may be, in the same way they 
were in the old hive. The combs may be held in 
the irames by sticks made of straight twigs 
cut a little longer than the frames inside, and placed 
on each side of the combs so as to securely hold 
them until fastened by the bees; after which re¬ 
move the sticks and cut away the lower edge of the 
combs, securing a free pass way across the bottom 
of the hive. It is often necessary to put several 
pieces of .comb into one frame, in order to get the 
combs transferred to the best advantage, and also 
to take the combs int© a room or place where other 
bees cannot find them while being transferred, and 
the bees may be rehived in the same place when 
necessary and remain a few minutes, until they re¬ 
gain possession of their combs. The hive may 
also be protected from robber bees by placing the 
feed box and ventilating screen in the front part of 
the hive, and contracting the entrance or closing it 
entirely until night. The bees may also be con¬ 
fined to the hive in the same way for various pur¬ 
poses and for any suitable length of time. 

Always keep the comb frames perpendicular, and 
when the bees are building combs give them what 
room they need and no more, arranging the frames 
and honey guides so as to secure straight combs of 
uniform thickness when filled with honey. When 
the'bees are storing surplus honey keep these guide 
boards between every two or three empty frames 


10 


until nearly filled, removing and changing them 
and the frames, as' conditions require. In the 
spring, when brood is being produced rapidly, and 
but little honey gathered, these boards may be dis¬ 
pensed with for that purpose. They may also be 
placed between the frames when shipping hives of 
bees or frames of honey, and when so used any 
comb accidentally breaking loose cannot fall over 
and kill the bees, or cause other combs to break 
loose. They may also be used as division boards 
when propagating, keeping, or shipping queens. 
With their use queens and colonies may be propa¬ 
gated easily and rapidly. A populous hive in the 
fall may also be partitioned into different compart¬ 
ments, with as many different queens, and conveni 
ently wintered in the cellar or other suitable place, 
and on setting them out in the spring they may oc¬ 
cupy separate stands, and be made populous by the 
time the white clover blossoms. 

Colonies may be very easily doubled in this way. 
Rear a queen early in the fall in the back part of 
each hive, and before putting them into winter 
quarters*place a division board in the central part 
of each hive, at the same time carefully equalizing 
the bees. On setting them out in the spring, sep¬ 
arate them and let them occupy places a half mile 
apart, or, if wintered on their summer stands, or 
otherwise, gradually separate them while at work 
by moving each half a few inches further apart 
each day, until they are out of the way of each 
other. When changing the position of hives ever 
bear in mind that 

‘‘A bee removed against its will, 

Is of the same opinion still.” 

During the working season three day’s confine- 


11 


ment in a dark place will generally change their 
will in this respect. Enlarge each hive by adding 
an empty frame to the central part as often as the 
bees can properly occupy and fill them. When 
three or more queens are wintered in one hive, 
holes may be made in the frames at the sides of 
the hive alternately for the bees when required, 
and ventilation may be secured by slightly separat¬ 
ing the frames when necessary. These boards may 
also be used in the form of screens for excluding 
the queen from the honey compartment, for 
separating the young queen and drones from the 
worker bees while confined for copulation, or for 
excluding the drones, etc. 

To protect the combs from the caterpillars dur¬ 
ing warm weather after being taken from the bees, 
put them into a tight box or barrel, and destroy the 
worms with brimstone. To do this, saturate strips 
of cotton rags with melted brimstone and place 
them in the box or barrel on something that will 
not burn, and set them on fire, covering them close¬ 
ly for an hour. If too much brimstone is burned 
it will color the combs green, and if not enough 
the worms will not be killed To determine this 
examine the combs often. Bees collect honey from 
a great many kinds of blossoms and other sources. 
These honey resources vary greatly in different lo¬ 
calities often but a few miles apart, and in the 
same locality in different years. All beekeepers 
should be familiar with the honey resources of the 
locality in which their bees are kept, and manage 
them accordingly. The white clover is one of the 
principal sources of surplus honey in many sections 
of the country. This usually blooms near the 40th 
degree of latitude about the first of June, and lasts* 



12 


till about the middle of July. Colonies that are 
kept populous during this time, and properly man¬ 
aged, are often very profitable. If the honey ex¬ 
tractor is properly used during the honey season, 
two to three times as much honey will often be 
gathered as if taken in the combs, as the bees then 
consume no time and honey in constructing combs. 
At the close of the clover and linden bloom, this 
extracted honey may be fed to the bees, as there is 
then usually several weeks during which the bees 
consume more honey than they gather from blos¬ 
soms. By this method the extracted honey may 
be secured in new combs in the nicest form for 
market. The bees are also kept strong and their 
combs filled, which is the best practical method of 
protecting them from the bee moth, which is usu¬ 
ally the most troublesome during this season of the 
year. The bees being kept; strong are also ready 
to gather honey rapidly during the buckwheat or 
fall season, and being kept strong and their combs 
properly filled secures them the best conditions for 
winter and for colonizing, by partitioning the hive 
before going into winter quarters. 

It is here recommended that all honey made 
from natural sources, and especially that gathered 
in the fall season, be removed from the brood combs 
and replaced with good sugar syrup soon after the 
first killing frosts. Impure honey, by engendering 
disease, has caused the loss of many colonies of 
bees when confined too long to their hives during 
the winter and spring, and sometimes as late as 
during the month of April. During the winters 
and springs of 1872 and 1873 nearly all of the bees 
were lost from this cause in many parts of the north¬ 
ern, middle, eastern and western States. The remedy 


13 

here pointed out, with proper management, is simple 
and thoroughly reliable. 

Feeding is very essential to the best success in 
bee culture. Judicious feeding early in the spring 
causes the bees to increase more rapidly. Feed in 
the summer and fail for the purposes already men¬ 
tioned. Honey made from good sugar syrup, while 
it commands the highe&t price in the market, is also 
preferable for the bees during winter and spring, as 
honey made from natural sources, as before stated, 
often proves unhealthy for them. With proper 
attention to feeding, bees may be conveniently 
kept in the largest cities and other localities desti¬ 
tute of natural honey resources. By the means 
here pointed out both queens and colonies may be 
propagated during the winter in a room kept con¬ 
stantly warm. 

Having experimented with hives and bees for 
many years, and with comb frames of many forms 
and dimensions, large and small, long and short, 
deep and shallow, wide and narrow, and construct¬ 
ed of both thick and thin materials, the frame here 
reccommended for the Universal Hive in its cheap¬ 
est and most practical form for all purposes and all 
localities, is about ten and a half inches deep and 
twelve long inside, formed of bevelled bars three- 
quarters of an inch thick, one and a half wide and 
twelve long, with a small vertical bar in the center 
to support the combs when shippihg newly filled 
hives or frames of honey. This central bar, when 
used in the brood frames, should be removed with¬ 
in a year after the frames are filled, as the combs 
in this frame will by that time be self supporting. 
One and a half inches is a good width for both 
brood and honey frames, and uniformity of size in 


14 


every way is preferable. Two or more smaller 
frames may be inserted within this frame for honey, 
when so desired, for market. 

Having repeatedly wintered several colonies of 
bees in the open air in Southern Ohio, unsheltered, 
and with no protection to the bees but their comb 
frames, made of common pine plastering lath less 
than a half inch thick, and finding that each colo¬ 
ny in every instance lived and came out in the 
spring in a healthy condition, and also finding that 
a small comb frame possesses advantages over all 
others in many ways, are my reasons for using the 
frame herein described. Large frames are difficult to 
manage, liable to accidents, and possess many other 
disadvantages. Frames made of thick material are 
also objectionable on account of crushing bees, unless 
formed of beveled bars, securing narrow surfaces. 
Triangular comb guides when used should be cut 
in the form of equilateral triangles, from boards 
nearly a half inch thick, and the lower edges well 
rubbed with beeswax to aid the bees in starting 
their, combs. In the absence of these guides straight 
thin strips of old brood combs will answ T er the 
same purpose, secured to the frames with melted 
rosin and beeswax The number of these frames 
required for a hive at any time depends upon cir¬ 
cumstances. From three to seven are enough for 
winter, but are not enough for the queen in May 
and June. The number required then will depend 
upon the strength of the colony, the productive¬ 
ness of the queen, and the amount of honey gath¬ 
ered. 

The hive herein named is termed Universal be¬ 
cause of its thorosgh practicability and adaptabili¬ 
ty to every department of bee culture. It was pat- 


15 


ented January 5th, 1869. It may be constructed 
in different ways and of many proportional dimen¬ 
sions, but uniformity of size and simplicity of con¬ 
struction is here recommended. 

One of the cheapest and most practical methods 
of securing honey in boxes is to use shallow bottom¬ 
less ones, say five and a half inches deep, six wide, 
and twelve long, inside. Bottoms may be added 
to them when filled with honey. Two such boxes 
will hold twenty-five pounds. Smaller boxes may 
be used when desired. If, when removing a box of 
honey it is found to contain brood, put an empty 
box in its place, with a suitable passage in the top 
for the bees, and place the filled box on top of the 
empty one, after driving out the queen. As the 
brood hatches the combs will be filled with honey. 
Partially filled boxes may be arranged above empty 
ones in the same way when desired, to give the 
bees more room for storing honey in boxes. The 
frames may also be conveniently used in place of 
these boxes by using two additional end pieces, E, 
inverting the upper ones, removing the strips m, 
and closing the external passages or spaces, k. The 
frames are indispensable when using the honey 
Extractor. They are also preferable to boxes for 
securing honey for market. 

Great care and precision is required in planing 
and cutting up materials for hives, so that when 
the pieces are nailed together the frames may all be 
of one size, and the several corresponding parts of 
the hive adjustable to each other. A planer, sticker, 
and two circular saws are all that is necessary to 
be used in preparing the materials ready to nail to¬ 
gether, and they may be prepared and nailed to¬ 
gether rapidly by a brisk mechanic. A good cen- 


16 


trifugal machine for extracting or removing the 
honey from the combs is an indispensable necessity 
to the best success in bee culture. 

A good method of protecting bees during cold 
weather is to cover their hives with boards, straw 
and soil. Select a dry, elevated situation, and ar¬ 
range the hive supports end to end in a straight 
line, upon which place a single row of hives as 
near each other as practicable, properly ventilated 
at both top and bottom, placing boards over them 
in the form of a double inclined roof, and covering 
deep enough to keep the frost out of the hives. 

They should also be kept dry and of a regular tem¬ 
perature, neither freezing cold nor warm enough 
to make the bees restless. A shaded place is the 
most favorable for securing a regular temperature. 
Too long confinement should also be avoided. As 
previously stated, the length of time which bees 
can be safely confined during cold weather, or any 
other time, depends in a great measure upon the 
condition and quality of their honey. The under¬ 
signed has kept bees successfully underground in 
southern Ohio in a cool, shaded and damp place, 
from the last of October till the first of March— 
four months in succession, without flying—but bees 
were not then lost in that locality on account of im¬ 
pure honey. The hives lost in weight during that 
time from fourteen to fifteen pounds each, and 
when taken out the combs were somewhat mouldy 
at their lower ends. But very little honey was col¬ 
lected there after the middle of July, consequently 
their honey contained but very little water, secur¬ 
ing one of the most favorable conditions for long 
confinement. 

Proper judgment and care is ever required for 


17 


the best success in wintering bees, and the same is 
true with regard to every season of the year. A bee 
hive can neither make honey nor manage the bees. 
The Universal Hive is only designed to furnish facil¬ 
ities by which the bees and hive may be managed 
to the best advantage for all purposes pertaining to 
the art and science of bee culture. This managing 
must be done by the beekeeper, and upon it mainly 
depends his success. That hive is the best which 
is the most practical and which affords the best 
and greatest number of facilities at an equal ex¬ 
pense. It should secure in the most practical man¬ 
ner complete and separate control of the combs 
and of the bees at all times and for all purposes 
pertaining to the art and science of bee culture. It 
should admit of being readily enlarged or dimin¬ 
ished at any time, so as to be best adapted to the 
bees and the convenience of the beekeeper during 
all seasons of the year; for colonizing, uniting or 
feeding the bees; uniting or separating their combs 
of brood or honey; for propagating queens in the 
most practical manner, and for shipping them and 
hives of bees or frames of honey conveniently from 
one part of the w^orld to another. 

The hive reduced to a small and compact form is 
best adapted to the bees for winter and spring; is 
the most easily handled, and occupies less room 
during transportation and when placed in winter 
quarters. 

The Universal Hive will be found to possess all 
the advantages herein set forth, by those who will 
fully acquaint themselves with its designs and 
adaptations and use it accordingly, and as compre¬ 
hended in the foregoing pages. 

This short treatise was designed to point out in 


18 


a brief and comprehensive manner that which is 
necessary to be known and done in order to be the 
most successful in bee culture. To give a minute 
and detailed description of the bees and hive, and 
of the various modes of propagating and control - 
ing bees, and of managing them and the hive for 
all purposes pertaining to bee culture, would require 
a large volume; but it is hoped that enough has 
here been given, it properly heeded, to enable all 
suitable persons to be successful, however inexpe¬ 
rienced they may have been. Correct management 
will ever secure success , and bad management is worse 
than no management at all. Knowledge , rightly ap¬ 
plied is, therefore absolutely essential to success. 

Beekeepers that wish their bees to thrive, 

Should not fail to keep each swarm alive; 

And if kept always strong in numbers, 

Would surely prove worth many dollars. 

If kept in Wright’s Universal Hive, 

With suitable means to work and thrive. 

For further evidence of the practical superiority 
of this Hive, those interested are referred to sue 
cessful beekeepers who are using it, and to the 
Hive itself. A few testimonials only will here be 
given: 

“Your Hive is one of the very few that is real good 
and no mistake.” 

L. C. Waite, St. Louis, 

Sec. Beekeeper's Association of the State of Missouri. 


Oskaloosa, Iowa, May 1st, 1872. 

Mb. A. T. Wright—Sir:— My bees have win¬ 
tered well in your Hive in the open air, without 
any protection around their comb frames, and are 
now strong and populous. For several years past 
I have been using the Langstroth and other improv- 






19 


ed hives; but for all practical purposes your Uni¬ 
versal Hive is certainly far superior to all others. 

Yours Truly, 

C. G. Owen, M. D. 

Kokomo, Ind., April 28, 1873. 

Mr. A. T. Wright—Sir:— I have been experi 
menting with bees for the last twelve years, and 
have examined all hives that have come under my 
observation during that time. I have been using 
your Universal Hive about a year, and find it to be 
much the most practical hive I have ever seen. 

Yours Truly, 

J. M. Scotton, Druggist. 

Hives and Trade Marks and also Individual 
and Territorial Rights for sale. Also energet¬ 
ic and reliable agents wanted to aid in introducing 
this Hive and system ot management throughout 
the country. 

For further particulars please enclose stamp and 
address A. T. WRIGHT, 

P. O. Box, 325 Chicago, Ill. 










































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library of congress 


(F>4 


liter 


0 002 843 545 9 

Established by the late Samuel Wagner in 1861, at 
Washington, D. C., is now published at Chicago, Ill., 
and edited by 

W. F. CLARKE, 

President of the North American Bee-Kef pers’ 
Society. 


i The American Bee Journal, 

\ is the organ of no man, party, patent, hive, or selfish 
1 interest. Its one aim will be to advance Apiculture. 


^Single Popies.. $2.00 a Year in ^Advance. 


CLUB RATES ; 

$1 75 per year, in clubs of iwo. 

1 65 “ u *• three. 

1 50 “ “ six.. 

1 40 “ “ ten. 

1 25 “ “ “ twen’y. 


Specimen Copies sent on application. Communica 
tior s and remittances to be addressed to 

W- F\ CLARKE, 

Aeerican Bee Journal, 

CHICAGO, ILL. 


or m 50. 
*• 5 00. 
*• 9 00. 
“ 14 00. 
“ 25 00. 













































